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Castrol Optigear Is Now Carbon Neutral To Make Wind Energy Even Cleaner

Castrol has become the first lubricant supplier in the world to offer carbon-neutral lubricants for the wind turbine industry.

Optigear Synthetic CT 320 and Synthetic X 320 are both certified to meet the BSI PAS 2060 Specification[1] for achieving and demonstrating complete carbon neutrality for their entire product lifecycle.

By meeting these specifications, each litre of oil used is certified to offset 2.3kg of CO2 equivalent (CO2e)[2] – or 930kg[3] when refilling a typical wind turbine gearbox. Which is comparable to the CO2 produced by an average passenger car driving 2,229 miles[4].

“The huge growth in renewable energy has made a major contribution towards protecting the environment, but our customers are innovators and always looking at new ways they can reduce their carbon footprint and take futher action on climate change,” said Daryl Luke, Global Product Manager at Castrol. “Castrol is committed to carbon reduction worldwide, and with Optigear Synthetic CT 320 and Synthetic X 320 certified as carbon neutral, our customers can now address those concerns without sacrificing performance. Using these carbon neutral gear-oils, manufacturers can reduce emissions at first fill and operators can cut their long-term carbon footprint”.

A carbon neutral lifecycle

Castrol achieved carbon neutrality for Optigear Synthetic CT 320 and Synthetic X 320 through careful analysis of the entire product lifecycle, from production, through to transportation and eventual disposal at the end of its service life.

Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for Optigear are achieved through investment in projects worldwide that aim to reduce net CO2e over time. This is administered by BP Target Neutral[5], BP’s not-for-profit carbon management programme which sources carbon offset credits from projects that are either putting in place CO2 reduction schemes or absorbing the equivalent amount of CO2 from the atmosphere. Investment in the projects also has other positive effects, such as creating local jobs in rural economies and improving air quality.

Current investments include a forest protection project in Zambia[6] that’s reducing CO2e emissions by an estimated 210,316 tonnes a year and a hydropower project in China[7] that’s reducing emissions by 500,000 tonnes a year.

All the projects BP Target Neutral invest in support the UN Sustainable Development Goals[8] that, over the next 15 years, aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all.